Campaigns

Partnership for Safety and Justice works to help Oregon achieve a smarter approach to criminal justice, and to counter the tough-on-crime rhetoric. For our most recent 2011 campaign updates, check out the legislative session part of our site. In general, our work is currently focused in the following campaign areas:

Youth Justice – We believe that public safety is best served when youth in trouble are held accountable and given the services they need to succeed in the juvenile justice system rather than the adult criminal justice system. Our Youth Justice Campaign works to combat the laws that automatically try and sentence and imprisons youth in our adult system. Follow our 2011 campaign work!

Legislative Work – PSJ works with the Oregon Legislature as one avenue toward criminal justice reform. Since 1999, our staff and members have created a well-worn path to Salem to educate state legislators and to bring about change. Check out our 2011 legislative agenda.

Ballot Measures – PSJ monitors initiative petitions that have been filed with the Oregon Secretary of State's Office which might have an impact on our issues and focuses very seriously on preventing Oregon’s criminal justice system from taking a dramatic turn for the worse. For example, in 2008, we worked very hard, and successfully, to defeat Kevin Mannix’s Mandatory Madness Measure 61.

HEAL Oregon - PSJ created its HEAL OR (Health Education for Addiction Legislation in OR) campaign to move Oregon away from a system that treats addiction as a criminal justice problem and towards a system that recognizes and treats addiction as a public health problem with solutions rooted in healthcare, not the criminal justice system. Track HEAL Oregon's work in the 2011 legislative session.